Witness describes victim being covered in blood, with several large, deep knife wound

David Gaumond, a Spence area resident, describes the scene after a stabbing occurred early Saturday morning in 500 block of Spence Street. Photo Store

A 35-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged in connection with Saturday’s homicide in the inner city.

Police have identified the deceased as Helder Serpa, 57, also of Winnipeg. He was walking to his home at 1:40 a.m. when he was confronted by a man he didn’t know. An altercation took place and Serpa was stabbed several times in the upper body, police said in a news release.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Fire crews wash down the scene of a stabbing that occurred early Saturday morning in front of 590 Spence St. Photo Store

A passerby called police to the scene near Cumberland Avenue and Spence Street. The unconscious Serpa was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead.

Police said they arrested a suspect in the area.

'(The woman) was on the phone with the paramedics at the time and they were asking her to flip him -- and he was so full of blood that she didn't really want to touch him'

-- David Gaumond (above) describing scene of slaying

Matthew James Sellner, 35, has been charged with second-degree murder. He remains in custody.

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A man who tried to help a severely injured, unconscious man lying face down on Spence Street early Saturday morning told the Free Press the victim was covered in blood and appeared to have several large, deep knife wounds.

Speaking near the scene, David Gaumond described hearing a woman screaming for help outside his home in the 500 block of Spence near Cumberland Avenue around 1:40 a.m.

Gaumond said the woman, likely in her 20s, discovered the bloodied man directly in front of Gaumond's house.

Gaumond rushed out and found a man lying face down on the street. The man, who appeared to have stab wounds across his back, looked to be Caucasian, in his late 50s or early 60s, and was wearing a reflective strap that looked like part of a construction worker's uniform, he said.

"(The woman) was on the phone with the paramedics at the time and they were asking her to flip him -- and he was so full of blood that she didn't really want to touch him," said Gaumond, who then tried to flip the man over.

"He was not even responsive to that or lifting his mouth up or anything," he said.

"Once I flipped him over, from even the first touch, even through his clothes, I could tell he was already getting cold."

Neither Gaumond nor the woman could feel the man's pulse. Gaumond said the man also had two or three more large stab wounds in his chest. He described the stab wounds as being about 2.5 inches thick.

"It was horrific. The stab wounds were even horizontal to try and get between ribs. These people, whoever stabbed him, really knew what they were doing when it comes to blades."

Gaumond said he tried to trace the trail of blood left by the victim, a man he'd seen in the area two days prior but didn't know personally.

"Before the police showed up and before they taped it off, I followed some blood spatter, some blood drippage, up the street and then across the boulevard," Gaumond said, referring to the boulevard on Cumberland Avenue.

Gaumond didn't hear any commotion on his street before discovering the body in front of his house. He said he feels sickened and sad by what happened.

"I think he was just an unfortunate person that just ran into the wrong people at the wrong time," he said. "It's not every day you get to... see someone dead in front of your house. It's pretty sickening."